Lawsuits & Cleaning
If you plan on hiring a cleaning company anytime soon let me make you aware of something very important. If the cleaning company you hire sends out Employee(s) to perform the work and they are injured at your place of residence or your place of business you could be held financially responsible if the employer does NOT have Workers Compensation Insurance. This is different from general liability insurance. Workers Compensation Insurance is an insurance policy, usually issued through the State of California, that provides disability benefits to an employee if they are injured while on the job. All California Employers are required to have this type of insurance but many do not. I would imagine that in the cleaning industry, where many companys are barely making ends meet, that the number of employers that do not have this type of insurance is growing monthly.
Before you hire your next cleaning company ask them to provide you a copy of the Workers Compensation Insurance Declaration Page. On this page you will find the name and address of the company, the policy number, who issued the policy, and the date it was issued. All policies are renewed on an ANNUAL BASIS. If they will not provide you a copy of their insurance don't walk away - RUN! They probably don't have a policy in force and you are 100% liable for any injuries to their employees.
A client once told me that California is no longer the "land of opportunity" but "opportunist". You have a better chance of winning a million dollars in a lawsuit than winning the lottery. This is a sad but true commentary for California. Please take the time to ask questions and protect yourself. If you don't no one else will.
Until Next Time
Michael Hull